What: October 6 – 10, 2014 is International Walk to School Week. Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) is celebrating by encouraging parents and students to join together and walk to school on Wednesday, October 8. So, it’s no better time for Orlando Police Department (OPD) and Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) to crackdown on crosswalk violators.

Dubbed Operation Best Foot Forward, plain clothes officers will cross the street in marked crosswalks with high pedestrian activity and in close proximity of OCPS schools, LYNX bus stops, or high-crash corridors. For those motorists failing to yield to a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk, they may face a fine of $164 and three (3) points on their driver’s license.

Six of the nine crosswalks being enforced are on roads posted at 40 mph and higher where pedestrians have a 10% chance of survival if struck by a car. Media are invited to the high visibility pedestrian enforcement operation and will have the opportunity to speak to drivers, officers and pedestrians about Best Foot Forward. Locations and date details are as follows:

International Walk to School Day is a day set aside for schools around the world to encourage kids to walk to school, thus encouraging a healthy activity that also fosters community, enhances children’s academic performance and decreases traffic in and around schools. Details on participating schools and photo opportunities will be sent to media outlets on Monday, October, 6.

Operation Best Foot Forward Background
This is the eighth high visibility pedestrian enforcement action since the launch of Best Foot Forward in June 2012. Since then, OPD and OCSO have issued more than 1,549 tickets and given over 3,402 warnings to drivers for failing to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. Enforcement is critical in boosting yield rates because vehicles-versus-pedestrian culture seems to flourish when unchecked.

OPD and OCSO enforcement details, along with engineering improvements and education, are part of Best Foot Forward for pedestrian safety efforts to reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths by half in five years. By employing this “Triple E” approach of engineering, education and enforcement, yield rates have jumped from 12% to 48% on roads 35mph and less.